Author: Matt Perry

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Thursday, April 27^th, 2023

The downtown canyon was very foggy overnight. In fact we could barely make out the State Office Building with our PTZ cameras. It was chilly too, with a low temperature of 34 degrees. The high temperature for the day was 61 degrees and it was attained in the late afternoon. Astrid was tight on her eggs all night long. Ares screeched to the nest at 5:05 AM. He left when Astrid failed to stir. He went to his pillar perch for a while instead. At 5:38 Astrid began vocalizing. Ares came over and they switched. The next changeover happened sometime before 7:50. Astrid took over on the eggs. Later on, when Ares landed on the steeple perch Astrid announced it. She also sounded off when he landed on the State Building at 10:12. He was out of site for a while after that. We then rediscovered him at noon sunning himself on one of the hotel ledges. A few minutes later, Ares was gone and there was a Pigeon in the same spot where he had been. Did Ares get so much sun that it transformed him into a Pigeon? I think we can safely rule that out.

The next changeover occurred at around 12:24 PM. Astrid had been sitting for quite a while and seemed eager to get a break. They switched again sometime before 1:52 and then Astrid was back on the eggs. At 3:02 Ares was giving long calls from the steeple. Astrid answered him back with her own distinctive vocalizations. At 3:38 Ares came back to the box and unceremoniously ousted Astrid to get his turn. It had gotten a lot warmer by then and the sun was flooding into the box. Ares did a little shading as well as incubating. At 4:10 he came off the eggs and stood on the lip of the box for a minute. It was warm enough to do without risking the eggs. At 4:23 he called out from the nest. As it happened, she had just landed on the State Building and he was announcing it, as she does with his movements around the canyon. At 5:54 Astrid came to the crossperch for a check-in. Ares didn’t want to leave and so she let him stay. She flew over to the steeple and got some good preening in. She was gone from the steeple by 6:24 and we didn’t see her again until she showed up at the box at 7:11 PM. By then she was ready for her night shift and Ares quickly ceded the nest to her. He was up on the lookout post for a little while after that. He finally flew about a half hour later. Goodnight falcons.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Wednesday, April 26^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnmaJ7dkaW8

The overnight was cold with temperatures in the mid 30’s. The day’s high was 50 degrees. Rain was intermittent and there were breaks of sun. Astrid was on the eggs all night long. Ares arrived on the east veranda with a Woodcock at 5:10 AM. Needless to say, Astrid wasn’t interested in taking it. He left with it a few minutes later and presumably put it into storage. At 5:30 he was back with a smaller offering. She wouldn’t cede the eggs for that either and so it went into the cupboard as well. At 5:55 he was back without any gifts, and that time she took him up on it. She left the box and he got settled on the eggs. The next changing of the guard occurred at around 7:10 give or take a few minutes. At 9:39 Ares buzzed by the box screeching a couple of times. We don’t know what that was all about. Afterwards he briefly stopped at the steeple and then flew to the State Building. They switched again at 10:31 AM and Ares got another turn on the nest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvYMRVdb_R0

At 11:32 AM Astrid came to the box and asked to take over. She beaked with him and seemed pretty polite at first but got a little pushier towards the end and muscled him off the nest. By 1:00 PM it was raining in the canyon. Ten minutes later Ares was at the nest, and they switched. Both falcons called loudly during the changeover. The next switch occurred at 3:02. It was a quick one and Astrid was back on nest duty. The next changeover happened at around 4:35 ish. Ares got comfortable on the eggs and Astrid went over to the State Building. At 5:45 PM Astrid came to the nest and asked to take over for the night, but Ares wouldn’t go. After a few minutes of soft persuasion, she gave up and let him have some more time. She did some hunting around the canyon instead. She was on a lower steeple perch for a little while, intently watching every Pigeon that flew by. At one point she darted after something. Astrid returned to the nest for the last switch of the day at about 7:40 PM. Ares flew over to the State Building but would likely be on his way to his night perch soon. Goodnight all.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Tuesday, April 25^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RAS0_40xhA

It was cool again overnight. With temperatures in the forties. The day was mostly overcast with high temperatures in the 50’s. Astrid spent the night on the nest. Ares came to the box at 5:54 AM and they did a rapid changeover. As he got situated on the eggs Astrid flew to the west face of the State Building. By 6:30 she was out of view. The next switch occurred at 6:42 and Astrid was back on the nest. At 8:09 Ares brought food to the box. This was the first time in many days that we’ve seen this behavior. He doesn’t usually do food deliveries at this point during the incubation period. She went to the State Building with her gift as he took over on the eggs. At 8:37 Astrid made a quick stop at the nest to check on things. She was in and out. At 9:16 when she returned to the State Building, Ares announced it with a squeak call. They switched a minute later and then Astrid was back on the eggs. At 11:37 Ares came to the nest and asked for a turn. He was insistent and immediately maneuvered behind her to compel her to leave. It worked. She flew out and the nest was his. At 12:08 PM she was back for another turn. Ares took some convincing to leave, but after a couple of minutes he acquiesced and flew out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFtEoCGQFqY

At 1:13 PM the falcons were giving cackle-type alarm calls. We weren’t sure if that was due to a migrating non-falcon raptor, or due to loud fire truck sirens blaring downtown. At 2:24 Ares came to the box, got behind Astrid, and tried to get her to cede the nest. She wouldn’t budge and he gave up. Navigating around behind her, his balance was off, and he had to extend his right wing – something only rarely done by adults inside the box. For a moment his wing draped over Astrid’s back; she responded with a priceless look. At 3:34 Ares left the State Building, came to the nest and they switched. She flew to the State Building while he got onto the eggs. At 4:34 Astrid came to the box to ask for a turn on the eggs. She was patient. She stood next to him (didn’t get behind him) for almost ten minutes, beaking and not being pushy. Ares wasn’t yielding and she finally gave in and left the nest to him. She went back to the State Building for a while. She didn’t come back to the nest until 7:42 PM – that was the last switch of the day. Ares had a nice long session. Goodnight falcons.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Monday, April 24^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwg2vT0oHZ4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAkZ87cLTnM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hbb5O0npts

Overnight was cool with some rain showers. The temperature was in the low forties. Conditions changed little during the day – light rain was intermittent, and the wind picked up. The high temperature peaked at around 50 degrees. Astrid was on the eggs all night long and from 4:10 the previous afternoon. Ares showed up at 5:16 AM to take over incubation. Astrid had been on the eggs for 11 hours and was eager get out and stretch her wings. She initially flew over to the State Building. At 6:32 she was on the hotel, most likely trying her luck at hunting Pigeons. For a little while there were two Rock Pigeons perched on the same ledge as her, but since falcons only hunt birds in flight, they were safe. She was back to the nest for at around 7:30 and they switched. At 8:14 Ares arrived on the State Building and his arrival was announced by Astrid. At 9:39 AM there was another changing of the guard and Ares was back on the eggs. At 10:10 AM Astrid made a quick visit to the nest. She was there and then up again. She flew back to the State Building. Forty-five minutes later there was an intruder in the canyon. It was on the lookout on the roof of the State Building and then it landed on one of the building’s upper ledges. Ares was off the nest and dealing with the situation while Astrid returned to the eggs. Meanwhile, the intruder audaciously upped Ares from his perch twice. They also did some low intensity sparring through the canyon. It was more reminiscent of the type of behavior that takes place between a parent and their offspring. Its immature plumage meant it was a yearling and its size told us it was a male. It could have been Percy from 2022. We don’t know for sure but given the observed behavior it was a possibility. At one point Ares went to the lookout and the intruder flew in circles over the west part of the canyon. He then returned, buzzed by Ares, and landed on a ledge next to him. They did some more sparring after that – some of which was captured our PTZ camera. Finally both disappeared towards the northwest. At 11:30 Ares returned to the State Building. Astrid announced his arrival with some chirping calls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0qnDtiearY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vST9KqeuNpE

By 12:15 PM the wind was picking up in the canyon. The falcons switched at 12:57. Ares took over on the eggs, adeptly tucking all four beneath him while Astrid flew to the State Building. Astrid was seen feeding on the hotel after that. We don’t know if the prey was something from the pantry or if it was a fresh catch. The pair executed a quick switch at 2:34. An hour later it was raining in the canyon. Ares was on the State Building keeping watch on the territory. He stopped briefly at the nestbox just as the clouds broke and a rainbow appeared. Astrid didn’t stir and he flew over to the steeple. At 5:06 PM we heard Ares give some long calls from somewhere – first quite distant and then much closer. Astrid responded with excited calls of her own. Ares arrived at the nest and the pair did a fast changeover. The next switch was at 6:21 and then Astrid was back on the eggs. Twenty minutes later we heard Ares giving long calls again. Astrid called back to him. This time it seemed like they were reacting to an intruder, but we were unable to confirm it. Ares was seen flying around the State Building, but he didn’t appear to be chasing anyone. He then went up onto his lookout post. He was there on and off until just after 7:30 PM. Most likely he was hunting. Goodnight all.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Sunday, April 23^rd, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXaWu4yY5ew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U9Pe91wON8

It was cool and rainy Saturday night. The temperature was in the high 40’s. Rain showers were intermittent through the day and the high temperature was only in the 50’s.  Astrid spent the night incubating as expected. Ares screeched to the nestbox at 6:08 AM (Sunday). He screeched in and she screeched out. She was eager to leave. She was back to relieve Ares sometime before 10:50 AM. Astrid was on the hotel in hunting mode after that. There was a Turkey Vulture circling over the hotel at 11:30. We believe it was attracted by the falcons’ leftover meals. We didn’t see Astrid go after it but she may have subsequently. Either that or she was chasing a Pigeon. At 12:23 PM Astrid was on the south facing steeple perch. She still appeared to be hunting. They switched at around 12:35 PM and Astrid took over on the eggs. The next changeover occurred at around 2:30 and Ares got his turn. He was on until 4:10 when Astrid returned. Astrid was on the eggs for the rest of the afternoon and evening at that point. We didn’t see Ares again that evening. Goodnight falcons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whybKkER814